Ancient Moscow on painters’ canvases

The only way to look into Moscow past before the period when photography was invented is to have a look at painters’ works, masters of historic reenactment. In this post we are to compare ancient Moscow with up-to-date Moscow image.

Before
Photo: Louis Pierre Alphonse de Colbert-Chabanais
St. Basil's Cathedral. Start of XIX century

On the painting of 1925 famous Russian painter Appolinary Vasnetsov, Viktor Vasnetsov’s brother shows famouse image of Red Square of the second part of XVII century. At that Red Square just started to develop its final features but already was the heart of social and commercial centre of the city as well as the whole country. One can see that already then the Kremlin towers got its marquee tops.

Left of then rises the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed. At the very square all the action is: everywhere hustle and bustle of city life. Staying on the upturn the clerk reads is reading up a decree to a crowd of people while nearby some noble person comes out of the Kremlin in a wagon.

Merchants are tinkering at their shops all over while soldiers are marching between rows. Сам Vasnetsov described Moscow centre life of that time as follows: «No wonder that the Kremlin at all the times was the city center. Moscow earned living by the Kremlin. From morning to night idle and business people crowded Red Square, getting to know latest news and listening to public criers announcing Tsar’s decrees. From this very place news spread all over the city: about war, executions, new taxes and extortions.

In this very place waves of common people life, provoked by scheming of boyars and tyranny violence slammed against the Kremlin hard walls giving rise to riots, revolts and rebellions. Red Square used to be great Moscow trade spot as well as Forum in ancient Rome.

Berfore
Photo: Appolinary Vasnetsov
Red Square. Second part of XVII century

On the earliest work(1902nd year) Apollinary Vasnetsov painted Moscow at Ivan the Terrible age. The work reflect Red Square 1550s years: Saint Basil's Cathedral is yet under construction, Kremlin walls are whitewashed which is quite disputable hypothesis for that time. Along the Kremlin there are log hut, merchants and horsemen are scurrying on the square.

To the right as it is painted on the previous canvas one can see gun tower not preserved until present. Comparing with the past Red Square looks empty nowadays. The Kremlin is already red and and looks a lot differently and the only edifice in front of its walls is Mausoleum

Before
Photo: Appolinary Vasnetsov
St. Basil's Cathedral. Start of XIX century

The art by Alekseev Fedor Yakovlevich, the other painter historic reenactor named by contemporaries «Russian Canaletto», features completely different late Red Square. The artist depicted the square totally deserted. One can see Moscow centre if painted as we are observing from the height of 3-storied building.

High building density is already peeping out on the back of Pokrovsky Cathedral. Newly erected buildings spread to horizon. The central element of the picture is place of execution and public punishment “Lobnoye mesto” served as well as the place from which in times of old the most important sovereigns’ decrees were announced. The Kremlin already had contemporary image, especially one can see it on the shape of Spasskaya tower but the square was still filled with various commercial developments.

The art by Karl Ivanovich Rabus dated from 1830th depicts Saint Basil's Cathedral on the part of Varvarka Street intersection and Vasilievsky Slope. Both past and present, probably this cathedral is the most famous temple in Russia. Legend says that Ivan the Terrible having seen the temple ordered to blind masters so that they never could built such a miracle.

Allegedly the master answered to Tsar’s question if the craftsman can build another temple of the same beauty or even better on, the master replied with a challenge: «Yes, I can!» having enraged the Tsar. «You lie!» — cried Ivan the Terrible and commanded to cut out eyes of both the architects built the temple.

In the painting one can see a Christian procession descending from the temple and passers-by bowing to the procession. It is amazing but it seems that from this corner almost nothing has changed from this angle except some individual parts. There is newly built up Park Zariadye at the place from which the artist was sitting and creating his masterpiece, instead of the building with columns in the right edge of the work there are Middle Shopping Streets.

On one more art by Apollinary Vasnetsov «Bookstalls in Spaasky Bridge, XVII century» one can see not existing nowadays Alevizov ditch in front of Spasskaya Tower on the Red Square. This ditch used to be not only final resting place for enemies aggressing The Kremlin at different times but as well a habitat for exotic animals.

It had the lockage and its particular arias could be dried. During Ivan’s the Terrible reign the area at Voskerenkiye Vorota (gates) in Kitay-Gorod was dried. The lions from England were kept in this area and for this reason Vosekresnkiye Vorota often named Lion’s gates.

In XVII century, that very time which is depicted on the picture they kept an elephant in this ditch. The elephant was a present made by Shah of Persia Abass II to Tzar Aleksey Mikhailovich. Unfortunately in a short while the elephant started to suffer from stomach disorders and died with the coming of frosts. After the War 1812 года the shops along the ditch were demolished and the ditch itself was covered with earth.

Before
Photo: Appolinary Vasnetsov
St. Basil's Cathedral. Start of XIX century